By now you’ve heard that airlines like American, Northwest, United, and US Airways are charging $15 to check your first bag, each way. The rest are charging for your second bag. Here’s how you can get around this skyway robbery.
You already know that there are two kinds of luggage: carry-on and lost.

Well, you know we’re in trouble when we have to pay the airlines to lose our luggage!

This is where it pays to ship your luggage ahead of time.

Dedicated luggage shipping companies such as Luggage Forward and Luggage Concierge take the work out of it—they offer door-to-door service, provide all the forms, and insure your bags.

But, if you want to save a few dollars, plan ahead with UPS or FedEx.

A 40-pound bag shipped cross-country with FedEx Ground’s four-day service costs about $33.

The only catch is that shipping abroad can be prohibitively expensive, but for domestic travel, it’s the only way to fly.